Multiple-expansion engine.



F. P. NICKEL & J. M. SHARP, Jn.

MULTIPLE EXPANSION ENGINE.

APPLICATION IILIzD APR. 29, 1910.

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IINIVIEB STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

FRANZ F. NICKEL AND JEFFERSON M. SHARP, JR., OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL STEAM PUMP COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A.

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MULTIPLE-EXPANSION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1913.

Application led April 29, 1910. Serial No. 558,419.

To all whom '25 may concern.'

Be it known that we, FRANZ F. NICKEL and JEFFERSON M. SHARP, Jr.,citizens of the United States, residing at Hazleton, county of Luzerne,and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in h/Iultiple-Expansion Engines, fully described andrepresented m the following specification and the accompanying drawings,forming a part of the same.

The object of the present invention 1s to provide an improvedconstruction of triple expansion engines of that class having theircylinders arranged in line, and especially to render the piste-n rods ofthe respective cylinders readily accessible and removable withoutrequiring` an excessive amount of space between the outside cylinder andthe wall of the engine room and without disturbing the alinement of thecylinders.

In the accompanying drawings there 1s shown for purpose of illustrationa triple expansion engine embodying the invention in a preferred form,and this construction will now be described in detail and the featuresforming the invention then specically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of theengine cylinders. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing theintermediate pressure piston withdrawn from its cylinder. Fig. 3 is adetail of the preferred form of connection between the rod sections.

Referring to said drawings, A, B, C are respectively the high pressure,intermediate and low pressure cylinders, and a, o, c their respect-ivepistons, the cylinders being arranged in the order of expansion, witht-he high pressure cylinder A inboard or neXt the pump or crank shaft towhich the power is applied. The pistons are connected by a centralpiston rod, no side rods being used, this piston rod being preferablyformed in two sections, section Z connecting the intermediate and lowpressure pistons and section e connecting the intermediate and highpressure pistons and connected by cross head or coupling 10 to the rod fthrough which the power of the three cylinders is applied. This rod fmay be the plunger rod of the pump, or in some types of pumps theplungers may be connected directly to the cross head or coupling 10. Thehigh and intermediate pressure cylinders A, B are connected by a twinhead 11 provided with suitable packing for the piston rod' e, and theintermediate cylinder B and low pressure cylinder C are connected by asuitable frame piece 12 which separates the cylinders B, C and providessufficient space within the frame piece for removing the intermediatecylinder head and piston for examination and renewal of the pistonrings. The inner head 13 of the high pressure cylinder and the outerheads 14 and 15 of the intermediate and low pressure cylinders areremovable for access to the pistons and removal of the piston rod.

The ro'ds d, e forming the sections of the single central piston rod areconnected by a coupling 16 over which .the intermediate piston b itssnugly and which is squared at the outer end for a wrench. The inner endof the coupling 16 is provided with a flange 1 to which the intermediatepiston is detachably secured, preferably by tap bolts 2 entering thebolt holes 3 in the flange as shown. The rods cl, e screw into theopposite ends of the coupling 16, and in the preferred constructionshown the rod e screws into the coupling up tight against a shoulder 4tand the rod l screws up tight against the end of the rod e, and the endsof the rods are then locked by a pin 5 through the coupling and througha hole formed half in the end of each rod. While this method of lockingthe rods to the coupling is preferred, it will be understood that othersuitable loclring means may be used for this purpose. A

The high pressure piston a is readily accessible by the removal of theinner head 13 of the high pressure cylinder, and can be removed byuncoupling the cross head or coupling 10 and removing the piston nut.The intermediate piston Z) is readily accessible, as shown in Fig. 2, byremoving the outer head lt of the intermediate pressure cylinder intothe hollow frame piece 12, then removing the tap bolts 2 from the flange1, and moving the piston outward from the coupling 16 into the spacewithin the frame piece 12. The low pressure piston c is accessible andremovable in the usual manner through the outer end of cylinder C byremoving head 15. The rods may be removed through the high pressurecylinder, if desired, by removing the coupling piece 16 and the pistonnut outside the low pressure piston. It will be seen that all thepistons are thus readily accessible, although no side piston rods areused, and this result and the convenient removal of the piston rod issecured without providing space outside the cylinder C for withdrawingthe rod beyond the cylinder to move the intermediate piston outside itscylinder, or for the removal ot the rod at the outer end of the lowpressure cylinder. If it be desired to provide for withdrawing thepiston rod through the low pressure cylinder C, this may be done withoutproviding the excessive space outside the low pressure cylinder requiredwhen external side rods or single piece center rods are used.

lVliat we claim is l. In a triple expansion engine, the combination ofhigh, intermediate and low pressure cylinders arranged in line in theorder of expansion, the inner head of the inner cylinder and the outerheads of the other two cylinders being removable, pistons in thecylinders, and a single central piston rod connecting the three pistonsand on which the intermediate piston is detachably mounted by meanspermitting the piston to be detached from the piston rod and movedoutward without disconnecting the sections of the rod or moving the rodlongitudinally, said piston rod being formed in sections, one sectionconnecting the intermediate and high pressure pistons and the otherconnecting the intermediate and low pressure pistons, the intermediatecylinder and cylin- "5"'"7" der at the outer end of the engine beingseparated to provide space for access to the intermediate piston whendetached from the piston .rod and moved outward thereon.

2. In a triple expansion engine, the combination of high, intermediateand low pres; y sure cylinders arranged in line in the order'm ofexpansion, pistons in the cylinders, a sin-'M5 gle central piston rodconnecting the three pistons and formed in sections, one sectionconnecting the intermediate and high pressure pistons and anothersection connecting the intermediate and low pressure pistons, and acoupling for said rod sections to which the intermediate piston isdetachably connected by means permitting the piston to be detached fromthe piston rod and moved outward without disconnecting the sections ofthe rod or moving the rod longitudinally, the intermediate cylinder andone ot the other cylinders being separated to provide space for accessto the intermediate piston when detached from the piston rod and movedoutward thereon.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ F. NICKEL. JEFF. M. SHARP, Jn.

Witnesses J. H. Biennow, JAMES A. GORMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

